


Fractals, fracture us all

by Thalarya



Series: Origins [1]
Category: Marvel 691, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Death is only alluded to, Gen, Not touching the cinematic Universe just yet, Other, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 11:05:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7974538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thalarya/pseuds/Thalarya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the world was still young, but old enough not to be an embryo anymore, Fate was already weaving.<br/>It was a delicate, intricate work: everything had to be correctly done to balance the posibilities the way she wanted them.<br/>But eventually, the was only so much that could be accomplished without a direct intervention.</p><p> </p><p>  <em>Her sister's ruthlessness opened so many possibilities.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Bargain

It has been a long time since he left his cradle-world. He wishes he could have stayed.

_There are many things he wishes._

He flies carefully. The one he goes to would not appreciate it if he were to indulge into wanton destruction on his way to Her.

_He only cares because he enjoys most of all destroying the creations of living beings. If he indulges, **She** will look. **She** will see him. So he pretends he is careful because of Her. The other one. The one he is going to._

Eventually, he reaches it.

He thinks the sight alone might destroy him. After all, this is where the Universe was made. Where everything was carefully planned, measured, organized.

In the center of All, there is a citadel. It is empty except for one. It overlooks the Universe. He knows that those who made him, his worshippers, would go mad trying to understand the sight of it.

So he doesn’t try.

He only contemplates it.

For a moment, a second, an eternity.

For all of Infinity.

_There is, after all, no time here._

It shifts. It does not make sense like the structures he is used to topple with a move of his feathered wings.

It does not have a definite color. It is all of the colors possible and none at the same time.

It does not have a definite texture. It flows from one thing he know to another. Mostly it becomes many things he has seen but does not know the name of. Occasionally, it is a thing he had never seen.

The only comparison he allows himself is to think it vaguely resemble a chiseled crystal.

_He know better than to try to commit it to memory or to comprehend it in any form. He had seen many of his brethren return mad after coming here. Only those truly desperate dare to come to the Citadel._

Around the Citadel is nothingness.

In the past, he had heard it described as similar to The-Void-that-is-Yggdrasil. Now he knows that those stories were wrong, for he had seen The-Void-that-is-Yggdrasil on his way here.

He had not planned the detour. He only wished to avoid the endless armies of mortals that so carelessly offered themselves to the one he wanted to avoid.

He had had to force himself away from the wondrous sight.

_For the first time in his existence, he had wished to be able to observe and bask in the beauty of something._

But he could not allow it.

Could not delay.

So now he look at the nothingness that surround the Citadel and compares it to his memories:

There are so few differences. They are so important.

The-Void-that-is-Yggdrasil is a silent place. Is absorb sound. It emit silence. It is peaceful.

The nothingness mute even the voices of the mind. It cultivate dread and fear. It feeds on it.

The-Void-that-is-Yggdrasil is a place of darkness. You cannot see what is on its other side. There is no light in it. It cradles it’s galaxies and stars and planets in its body and contain their light. Like an intricate piece of jewelry.

The nothingness leech off the light that surrounds it. It appear endless. Oppressive. Gigantic. Only the light of the Citadel can piece it’s utter darkness. And even then, it seems as if there is a shield of darkness in front of your eyes.

The-Void-that-is-Yggdrasil is a place of life. It harbor and cultivate it. It protects.

The nothingness repel life. The world closest to it are dead. Living creatures flee it even as they are not aware of its existence.

_Inside of it, the Citadel is a deathly lure._

He looks at the Citadel again. He let his mind be soothed by its ever shifting appearance. _She_ cannot reach him here, at the edge of the nothingness.

Eventually, a section of the Citadel stops shifting. It take the form of a great open balcony with a curved doorframe. Behind it, he can guess a gigantic throne room.

The balcony is just large enough for him to land on.

_He is expected._

Inside the room that has been crafted to receive him are six seats, placed to form a loose arch. Each are different. Only one is occupied.

The floor is solid stone veined with precious metal.

The columns are translucent crystals delicately carved into spirals that curves around a hollow center.

The very air pulse with power.

Then he stand in front of the one he had come to meet.

He does not bow.

He had never bowed before, not even for his more powerful siblings. Yet Her might is greater than that of all of his sibling combined.

Yet, he will not bow.

He will not beg.

It’s not like any of his action would influence one like _Her_.

She smile at him, as if she had guessed his thought.

_She probably know them._

He meet her gaze and tilt his head a bit. He had never been one for patience and if he is to be refused, he would like to know.

Her smile sharpen and Her voice rise in his mind.

“ _You have come here for a reason. I would have you say it plainly.”_

He know he does not have the talent for words some of his kin had. But then, he had never cared to find the right words.

“I refuse to belong to Death and I don’t have the power to keep Her from hunting me. From the six First Made, I thought you would be the most inclined to help me.”

“ _You did not said ‘die’ but ‘belong to Death’. Why?_ ”

At the question he stand to full height and ruffle his feathers.

He does not care to speak in honeyed words, he will not lie to make himself more sympathetic.

_Why would he be bothered to lie anyway?_

“I have seen some of my kin go crazy and some others die. I have come to term with the mortality of my worshipers and with the whims of their minds. It is not my undoing that I fear, it is belonging to Death.”

“ _A perfectly reasonable fear_.”

The simile drop off of her face and she stand abruptly.

“ _Do not think for a moment that this choice will be without  a price.”_

The lights that are spread through the room by the columns start to shift violently, erratically. The ambient power press on him.

And it is but a warning.

_He had not expected anything else._

“I do not care what you do to me. My worshippers are forsaking me ever faster and soon I will stop existing altogether. Anything you may offer me is better that what awaits me from your sister.”

Her smile returns and the pressure ease.

“ _And yet, should you accept my bargain, you will find yourself changed beyond recognition.”_

“So, there is a bargain to be had. Good. What am I to offer?”

“ _Yourself.”_

His surprise startle a laugh out of her before she can explain.

“ _Do not worry, I have little use for a slave. I would, however, have a Herald._ ”

He nods.

He is old enough to remember the ages when Galactus had made the Universe his dining table and how even one as mighty as he was had employed heralds.

_“You will keep all your abilities and you will have a chance to add to them. I will send you on an errand through the Universe, on a mission. Your body is already in a poor state and will not get any better, so you will go find another one. Your actions will be limited as well as your choice. Do you accept this?”_

He nods again.

“ _The body must be that of a child: old enough to be completely formed and young enough that the child will not have developed a mind of its own. You must bring him back alive and healthy. You must not have taken him from his family unless they reject him. If you kill to obtain the child, it must be justified and limited to what is needed_.”

He think Her proposition over for a moment before asking a few questions:

“What if my search takes me longer than what time I have left?”

“ _I will maintain you as you are now until you return. I will also shield you from my sister as much as I can. Since I cannot create miracles, you will have to be mindful to avoid areas where her awareness is strong.”_

“You mentioned that I would have a chance to add to my powers. I take it that it will be done through the abilities of the child I chose?”

“ _Exactly. You may chose whichever creature you wish. But chose well because there will be no changing your mind.”_

“Any other limitation?”

“ _Only one: should you fall back on your old habits, I will destroy you myself._ ”

“Agreed.”

She sat back and looked at something behind him, motioning at whatever it was.

“ _This will preserve you as well as provide a shield from my sister._ ”

He turned.

A simple pillar had materialized behind him. On it, there was a bowl filled with a clear liquid.

It could have been water, were he anywhere else in the Universe.

He drink it without hesitation.

 _He knows it is a test_.

 _A trap_.

Reality fracture around him and he falls.

When he awakes, he is laying on his back at the top of the Citadel.

She is standing at the edge of the platform she created.

He rise and goes to stand beside her.

“When is it?”

He can hear the smile in her musical voice: “ _At the right time for the optimal reality to happen.”_

“Time to go then.”

He incline his head in her direction, even if she is still not looking at him.

“Until we meet again, Lady Fate.”

A ramp takes form under his feet, bringing him that much closer to the edge of the nothingness.

“Until we meet again, Hawk God of Arcturus. May you enjoy you first errand as my Herald.”

He grins and open his wings. He bends his knees and feel the cosmic power running wild inside of him.

He clear the nothingness in less than an eye blink.

He has the Universe to comb.


	2. The Search

He had discovered early on that there was no efficient way to search the Universe.

At the very beginning, he had circled the nothingness in wider and wider arcs. In the few worlds that hosted sentient life, the beings he had found were wholly unremarkable.

_They were too young._

Then he had decided to fly to the outer limits of the Universe in the hopes that the species that lived away from the nothingness would be more evolved.

_Time moved against him, it seemed._

The civilizations he had found were either on the brink of complete extinction or actively making their way there.

_When he found life, that is._

A few planets that he had seen were barren. They were covered with marks of destruction more thorough than anything he had ever done. The energy he had perceived when he had inspected the remains had told him it was the work of the Celestials. This had been done before Galactus’s demise, then.

He wondered what kind of being could have existed on those planets.

What form of life could be deemed threatening enough that it’s destruction could be seen as necessary.

_He had known a few celestials when his Arcturans were discovering the concepts of cities. All of them were fair in their judgements._

Now, he glided on the cosmic winds from world to world. If there was anything to find, he would end up finding it one day.

He was currently exploring a galaxy populated with reptilians species. These had interesting potential: scaled skin, fanged mouth, heath-sensitive organs, eyes that could see as long as there was light.

One breed even had the ability to shift its appearance with no noticeable limit.

Those called themselves Skrulls.

After observing them, he had carefully noted the location of their world before resuming his search.

Those were the most promising bipeds he had found since he had visited Arcturus and had seen half the cities filled with mutants.

In-between these two worlds, he had found some note-worthy species:

The Kree: remarquably strong and intelligent.

The Shi’ar: they possessed wings.

The Centaurians: empaths who could sometimes control others

He had also seen some much more interesting species in the worlds cradled by The-Void-that-is-Yggdrasil. He had not dared approach them however, because the equilibrium of The-Void-that-is-Yggdrasil is extremely delicate and he feared that his mere presence might upset it and cause the destruction of many worlds.

He regretted not trying to find a way to navigate it.

Now he was stuck observing each world he came across, hoping that _maybe_ on this one there would be something truly interesting.

_Something worthy of the Hawk God._

The solar system in front of him only had one planet with life. It’s orbit was perfect for the evolution of living beings, like many others he had seen before. Those tended to yield the most common and frail sentient species.

He flapped his wings a few times to clear the outer planets and then let himself glide. When he felt the itch of the magnetic shield, he used the little trick he had learned in his travel: by making some of the cosmic power he was made of radiate through his skin, he could disrupt the sight of machines and organic beings alike and avoid being seen while he observed.

That is how he learned that this world was referred to as Sirus and its inhabitant Sirusites. They were a female-ruled people whose laws originated from the interpretation the religious leaders had pulled out of the actions of their One-God. He heavily doubted that their belief had ever been strong enough to create one like him and yet he could feel faint amount of power coming from the planet.

A celestial had probably been by and had made itself known to the ancestors of those people.

_With some luck there would be a statue in the main worship place so he could try to recognize which one it had been. With some more luck the more interesting specimens of this specie would be close to the source of the cosmic power he felt._

The odds were in his favor, it seemed: the principal temple was carved in a mountain far enough from the cities that he could effortlessly move around without altering his form. It was made of great open hollowed antechambers with one closed Sacred hall in the center to hide the representation of the One-God from the general populace.

 _Of course_.

The cosmic power itself was not coming from the Sacred hall so there would be no need for destruction. It was coming from _under_ the temple, from what he assumed was a secret installation since it was in the opposite direction from the statue. It also did not feel like the remnant-trace of a celestial. It felt organic. _Alive_.

_It was a very good thing that as a God he did not need either rest or sustenance. His search of the entrance of the hidden installation would have been tedious otherwise._

It turned out that all his observing of the religious personnel had been pointless: the installation was unknown to them. From what he could see, only four males knew of it. It had intrigued him, that it was _males_ that operated there when the population was so clearly dominated by the females.

_No males could be allowed to be this close to the most sacred temple._

_Nothing legal could have been built below the temple._

_Nothing had ever held such promise in his search._

Anticipation and excitement thrummed in him as he forced hid body to shrink. From just below his shoulder, the mountain rose until he could barely distinguish the top of it. His Arcturans had made him great. Only now did he realize how small the mortals that populated the All truly were.

_It was no wonder he could wreck such damage on their construction with such ease._

He could hardly wait to see the source of the living power he felt. In fact, he only had to climb to the disguised entrance of the facility and wait for one of the male to come out for his daily smoke. Then it would be a simple matter of getting him to rejoin the others and to talk about their project.

  _Anytime now, the sun was rising._

Light was a few minutes from reaching the entrance when it slid open with a discreet rumble. The male emerged and took his usual seat. Leaning against the mountainside by the entrance, the Hawk God observed him more closely: he was bald with a trimmed strip of beard running along his jaw. He did not appear old but had enough surplus weight that he would not enjoy as long a life as his brethren.

When the male rose and headed to the entrance, the Hawk God made himself visible.

The mortal startled and opened his mouth but no sound came out: his mind was unnaturally calm, his eyes could not escape those of the god in front of him.

_“You went outside to smoke as you usually do. Everything was normal. While watching the sunrise, you thought of your work and felt the need to review everything with the others to ensure all is well.”_

It took a moment for the mortal’s mind to process the compulsion, as it was a complex one. While his eyes were blurred, the Hawk God removed his hand from the crown of the mortal’s head, stepped aside and made himself invisible once more.

After a moment, the male sirusite blinked, shook his head, looked around and headed back inside. The Hawk God followed him closely, a pleased smile on his face.

The moment the hidden door closed, the lights lining the long hallway turned on, illuminating them as they walked deeper inside the mountain.

_This was it._

Eventually, after crossing a few other hallways, they reached a wide common room where the three other males were having their first meal of the day. They greeted their colleague enthusiastically:

“Took your time this morning!”

“Yeah, are you trying to slow us down, mister deadlines?”

“Well, not really. It’s more that I would like to review everything to be sure the deadlines _will be_ respected.”

That declaration was received with a chorus of pained , long-suffering groans.

The fourth sirusite, the one who hadn’t had the chance to speak yet, added: “I told you guys he was going to do that soon! He’s the only one who hadn’t had his turn yet!”

“Well, if you’re so unbothered why don’t you start?”

“Might as well. So, when we last conferred like this, the subject had reached the size of a one year old child. It has now developed to be the equivalent of a ten years old child in perfect health. The project can continue without any changes from a strictly biological point of view.”

“All right, my turn. The machines have not had any other incident and the new equipment is ready to be used as soon as needed. It had been tested on the failed subjects and the result clearly show that the rest of the operations will be successful.”

“Hey, I’m not the last one this time! So, on my side of things, I can say that the genome it regular and stable throughout all the tissue sample. I don’t foresee any complication so everything can keep going until we finally reach the adult stage.”

“Excellent! As for me, all the elements required for the next part are created, stable and ready to use. If everything goes as planned, we will have a mature specimen in two weeks’ time!”

“In two weeks’ time, we will be able to start the conditioning and then, this planet will be ours!”

More was said, but the Hawk God did not hear it.

The moment he had understood what those scientist were doing he had left the room in search of the source of cosmic power had felt from the outer atmosphere of the planet.

The _living_ cosmic power.

Emanating from a bioengineered form of life.

 _His future body_.

The chamber in which the being floated was placed in the middle of a great cavern. Equipment littered the floor, covered the walls, hung from overarching structures. Here, in this gigantic room, the greatest technological advancements of this planet were displayed, ready for use.

Ready to create life.

A child that is without a family.

Alive, healthy, without a mind completely of its own.

A near-feral grin appear on his face.

_Optimal reality indeed._

In two weeks’ time he will discover what are the abilities of this new creature. And when another one will be made, he will take it and bring it back.

A clamor of voices drag his attention to the door he had passed earlier. The four scientist enter and spread to their respective stations, their excitement almost tangible around him.

He lean against a machine close-by, observing their every actions.

_Should this fail, he would be able to reproduce the experiment._

The days go by, with the scientist less and less able to sleep from all the excitement. In his chamber the being, a male, keeps growing. He is not as tall as his creators nor does he have their physique but his golden skin is marker enough of his genetic perfection.

When two weeks exactly have gone by the scientists line behind the main console, back straight in anticipation and clothed in their finest garments.

Slowly, the chamber is elevated.

The transparent vat is emptied of it’s liquid.

The floor of the vat is removed. The male lay on it, immobile, curled up like a fetus.

No one moves until he takes his first breath.

The moment his abdomen start moving regularly, the male in charge of the biology steps forward with shaking hands. Slowly, he climb the steps to the platform, extend his hand to search for a pulse.

When he makes contact his creation startle, leaning back on an elbow with eyes open wide and breath coming fast. His blond hair, as coated as his body by the thick liquid that had hosted him, hang limply under his head.

The scientist retract his hand and tilt his head, observing.

In front of him, the newborn rise on wobbly legs. He observe the four males in front of him and look at himself. He looks at them once more and scrunches his eyebrows.

The Hawk God feels the change: the molecules of the liquid and the air around it change, rearrange themselves. Suddenly, clothing as fine as the Sirusite’s appear on him. Finer, even.

While the mortals are busy gaping at this feat, the godling jump off the platform he had been on and makes his way to a nearby staircase. Just as he is about to step on the first step, one of the scientist speaks up.

“Him! Don’t go up there, it’s dangerous.”

Him, it seems to be the creature’s name, put his feet back next to the other one. He then look up the wall to where he wishes to go.

_And then he is flying._

While it is not the exact same type of flying that the Hawk God uses, it is similar enough. The godling is obviously lacking wings so he has no mean of propulsion other than the cosmic power inside of him. That is what he use to force the gravity of the planet to disappear and fluctuate around him, giving him good control on the direction and speed of his flight.

Finally, after weaving carefully around various component of machinery, he reaches his goal: the main power cells that have been providing the energy for the vat he had been created in.

Him seems intrigued at the energy that is so different from his own. When he decide to touch it, the energies create a blast that throw him across the cavern.

Under him, the scientist shake their amazement as they watch the dramatic turn of event.

Just before the impact, a force field surround Him and act like a cushion: instead of a body breaking against the stone, the stone break against the force field. It forms a crater and fissures radiate around it in all direction.

Him is left floating there, looking dazed.

Down below, the scientists are getting displeased with their creation: they had meant for it to be a slave, a mean for them to obtain control of the planet. A seemingly disobedient child is of no use to them.

Still in flight near the top of the cavern, Him is now looking around the vast space, unaware of the words his creators are exchanging below. When Him turn around to inspect the room, the Hawk God is mindful not to move: a being as powerful as that one could most likely feel him.

Eventually, Him is facing the Hawk God, even if he doesn’t know it.

The primordial God seize this opportunity to look in his eyes.

He sees innocence.

Naivety.

Curiosity.

_A newborn’s mind._

Eventually, the moment ends: one of the sirusite has acquired a voice-amplifying device from somewhere and is trying to coax Him to come back down. As the time passes and Him refuses to move, the coaxing tone becomes more and more rigid, firm. The four sirusites take their turn to speak, each one with more authority and menace in his voice than the previous one.

It goes on until they make a mistake:

“Him, if you don’t come down this instant, we will make you!”

A weapon appear.

Two heads swivel in sync to the four mortals, one visible and the other not.

While Him is more curious at the sight of the new object than anything else, the Hawk God can immediately say they intend to do harm.

“Him, last time, come here now or we will have to hurt you.”

_How stupid of them, to expect a newborn to know the concept of pain._

The weapon is readied, aimed.

Him is still not moving.

The shot is taken.

It never reaches its target.

With one hand, the Hawk God emit a powerful burst of cosmic energy that disintegrate the projectile. With the other hand, he emit a blast that sends the four scientists cashing in the nearest machine. They land softly enough not to die on impact but with enough strength to cause deadly injuries.

_Just like he intended._

When he turn to Him, he is visible again.

In his eyes, he sees something close to adoration. He did, after all, save Him from a very painful experience. He is therefore not afraid when the Hawk God reaches for him. When he put a hand on his head. When he looks into his eyes.

Him surrender to the sleeping compulsion.

The Hawk God catches his body mid-fall, barely sparing a glance to the four sirusites. He can feel them dying, know they have very little time left to live.

_Very little time for him to leave._

It wouldn’t do for Death to find him when he has finally found himself a body.

He grins, excitement taking over his mind. Finally, his search is Over, he can return to the Citadel and be reborn.

He leaves the sirusites bleeding out in the middle of their life’s work, intent to be out of the solar system before they expire.

In a heartbeat, his enlarging body has reached the hidden entrance. He moves Him’s body from his arms to his bent-over shoulder as to be able to let himself out.

It is but one push of his hand before he can unfold his body outside.

It is one downstrike of his heel to collapse the entry and a part of the hallway.

As his head breaches the clouds that are crowning the head of the mountain, he delicately picks Him from his shoulder and moves his body to the palm of his hand.

When he has regained his usual size, he close his hand around his precious charge in a snug fit. Spreading his wings and bending his knees, he look in the direction of the citadel and elation replace excitement in him.

The first beat of his wings raise an immense cloud of dust on Sirus. The second disturb the regular orbit of the asteroid belt that encircle the externmost planet of the solar system. At the third, he can feel the cosmic winds pushing against his body from how fast he is flying.

_He notice none of it._

His only goal is the citadel. His path is the straightest line in its direction. On his way there, he pull millions of objects out of their orbit. He move the trajectory of two black holes, dooming them to one day fuse. He alter the trajectories of everything he come across.

_He does not care. The Citadel awaits._

When he reaches the edge of the nothingness, he doesn’t bother to stop. He simply closes his eyes and dive for the top of the citadel, where the platform he had left from was.

_He will never admit how relieved he felt when he landed firmly on the platform._

When he present his open hand to Lady Fate with the body of Him in it, her smile is near-blinding.

“Welcome back, my Herald. I am glad you have been patient in your search.”

Her melodic voice sooth his impatient and elated mind, leaving him filled with the pride of a well done job as well as a little apprehensiveness for what is to come.

“As I am. What happens now?”

She answer as she take his future body from where it lay in the middle of his palm.

“Now we go to Arcturus. I will transport us there and make sure we remain unseen. ”

She then laid her free hand on his shoulder and take a step forward, pushing him a bit while doing so. A swirl of blinding light engulf them for a few moments, disorienting the Hawk God.

In an instant, they find themselves on solid ground, under the blinding light of the two suns of the Arcturus IV star system.

It had been a long time since the Hawk God had seen this area of Arcturus but he could easily identify the first city his people had built. As he turned around, he replaced his surroundings: they were in the middle of the Ceremonial Place with the spaceport to their left. To the right were the living quarters of the population. Running perpendicular to the spaceport and the houses across the whole Place were the Pillars of the Honored. They were made of silver and on each one was written in gold the names of every warrior that had been killed in battle or died of wounds acquired in a battle. The Pillars began by the Palace, where the military chiefs lived and ruled from, and ended at the edge of the wastelands that separated the pure-gene arcturans from the mutants.

The Place itself was a wide rectangular open area paved with enormous pieces of glass that had been polished smooth by the innumerable people that threaded on them every day. The Palace was built of a rare type of veined marble called “Grigio Bardiglio” and each pillar that lined the width of the front was carved after the likeness of each High Commander that had ruled the city so far. They were represented in their uniform and bronze was cast on their helmets to heighten the resemblance. On the higher level were hung large pieces of the red cloth used for the uniforms as to remind the citizens that the seat of military power was there.

From the ground it looked magnificent. For the Hawk God however, it seemed like a squat little building. The helmets of the statues amused him especially, for they were a poor pastiche of the feathers on either side of his head.

At their feet, arcturans went on with their lives, unconsciously giving them a wide berth.

_It would be so easy to step on them, to bend his knee and open his wing wide and topple nearly every pillar. So easy to kick flat-_

“That way of thinking  is exactly why I did not simply pull you into your new body.”

The Hawk God startled at the reminder that was neither alone nor gone sight-seeing.

With an indulgent smile, Fate explained herself: “As my Herald, I will require of you many tasks. Not all of them will be to cause death and destruction. That is why we are here, on your cradle-world. I intend for you to live as one of your arcturan to both help you master your new abilities and to develop a new mindset.”

He immediately opened his mouth to protest but before a sound could escape him he thought best of it. She _did_ have a point.

“Very well. How will that happen?”

Fate tilted her head in the direction of the palace.

“The wife of Commander Ogord, Salaan, is pregnant. She had gone into labor not too long ago. According to her personal healer, she will birth a healthy boy today. I made sure of it.”

Her last sentence felt suspended, as if there was more to it. But what could she mea-

“You fooled them into thinking her womb was full!”

His head feathers twitched at the unexpected realization.

“Come and see.”

She turned and headed in the direction of the Palace while she cupped both hands around the body of Him and _pressed_.

Had it been anyone else doing that, he would have been worried.

A few steps later, she reached her destination: two wide open windows on the third floor that revealed a large bedroom. Inside were the Commander and his wife, her healer and a midwife. Fate turned to him and opened her hands, revealing that Him’s body had regressed to the size and shape of an unborn infant. Carefully, she picked it up between two fingers and reached inside the room.

_He could not tell if he shivered in excitation or anticipation as Fate effortlessly slipped the body inside Salaan’s womb._

She turned to him.

“You will always retain a sense of your current self and you will regain bits and pieces of memories as you will age. I will also visit you from time to time to provide help, even when you will not remember me.”

He exhaled will clear anticipation.

“I am ready.”

She put a hand on the back of his neck and _pushed_.

The fall seemed endless.

He lost all of his senses.

He opened his mouth.

Screamed like he never had.

A piercing wail echoed in the bedroom as the midwife gathered the newborn boy in clean towels to wash him. The healer followed and they marveled at how, even clean and dry, the boy’s skin seemed to shine slightly. And if the boy’s irises were more golden than blue well, all babies’ eyes changed color eventually, yes?

After careful examination, the child was given to its mother. She exchanged a loving look with her husband before turning to her healer.

“His name is Stakar.”

 Understanding the instruction, he bowed and announced: “I will go find your daughters and bring them back here, Madam.”

The midwife kept on cleaning the room while both parents settled confortably.

And if they did not notice how quiet their son was, how little milk he drank and how he kept looking through the open windows, as if searching for someone, well they could be excused, could they not? Salaan had used a lot of her energy to bring a new life to this world. Ogord had overseen the examination of the pilot candidates, which had lasted all night and then had been summoned to a council to plan the next attack on the mutants. The midwife was to her fourth birth of the day and could affirm she had never seen a child so hesitant to leave the womb.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I make public in all of ever because my writing is incledibly erratic and slow. The two other chapters of that are not written yet, even if I have Ideas for them. It will probably be a long time before anything more happen.


End file.
